Bella Acting Series
by consumedbythenaturalchoice
Summary: AH/AU. Some OOC. Taysten switcharounds, made to fit the two roles the two actors portray in different possible scenarios. JxB REPOSTED.
1. Nerves, Nerves and More Nerves

Bella dangled her leg that was crossed over her right one as she nervously waited for the first interviewer to show up.

The hairstylist did one more check and reminded her yet again not to run her hands through her hair.

Bella smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm sorry. It's kind of a tic of mine. I'll try not to do that."

The hairstylist gave her a simple nod, swept Bella's loose curls behind her shoulders, and then walked away.

Bella brought her thumb nail to her mouth but before she could chew, her publicist called out to her.

"Bella."

Her eyes snapped up to Eric's face. He shook his head. She dropped her thumb and pasted another sheepish smile on her face. "Sorry."

Eric gave her a small smile. "Don't worry about it, honey. Jessica will just have to give you a touch-up. Jessica."

Jessica rushed over to Bella and applied another coat of lip gloss. "Okay, blot." Bella did as she was told and Jessica gave her a bright smile. "Great. You look great. Like always."

Bella smiled shyly. "Thanks, Jess."

Jessica nodded. "Of course."

Jessica then flitted off, back to where the crew was waiting for the busy day to begin.

Angela approached her, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, Bella. Edward's on the phone and he wanted to talk to you quickly before you got stuck in the junket."

Bella accepted the open phone gratefully. "Thanks, Ang."

Angela nodded and quietly slipped away.

Bella held the phone to her ear. "Edward?"

"Bella! How are you doing, love?"

Bella let out a huge breath. "Um, I'm okay. Just a little nervous, you know? Last big junket we had like this, I messed up so much and every word that came out of my mouth was scrutinized."

Edward chuckled. "Don't worry, love. You'll be fine. That was a year ago. I'm sure these journalists are all new and the ones that aren't don't even remember it."

Bella grimaced. "I wish that was true."

"Love, everything's going to be fine. You have Jacob there with you. He'll help you through it. Besides, I'm sure he's just as nervous as you are. Probably even more so. They always want to talk to him more, anyway, right?"

Bella frowned. _Way to calm the old nerves there, Edward. _"Um, yeah. I guess you're right." She released her lip, held her forehead in her palm and sighed. "I miss you, Edward. I wish you were here."

Edward sighed just as sadly. "I do, too, love. If I wasn't shooting, I'd be right there with you. You know that."

Bella did know that. Edward always took care of her, always protected her, kept her safe from the prying eyes of the press. Unfortunately, that only spurred rumors of the two's romance even further so a lot of times she had to go without her knight in shining armor. At least that's the way Eric had put it when she had gotten upset over the advancing frenzy over Belward. The name alone made her cringe.

So the two were often forced apart unless they were doing promotional tours for the Twilight films. But this one, Edward's shooting schedule had conflicted with the set dates for the promotion of Eclipse, the third film. The studios weren't happy and neither was Bella. But, there was nothing that could be done and Edward refused to back out of the project. She secretly admired him for taking a stance on the subject but she still missed him.

"I know, Edward. It just...sucks."

Edward chuckled again. "Yeah, it does."

"Bella!"

Bella's head snapped up towards Eric. "We're gonna be on in five! Angela, get the phone!"

Angela hurried over to Bella, giving her an apologetic look.

Bella sighed again. "I have to go, Edward. We're gonna start letting them in soon."

"Alright, love. Just remember, be yourself and smile. Have some fun. Stick to the film and answer very little about your personal life and you'll be fine. You'll have Jacob there to walk you through it."

Bella nodded even though she knew Edward couldn't see her. "Right. Just stick to the film and I'll be fine."

"That's right. Remember what I told you. Deflection and humor go hand in hand. That's the key and it works."

Bella nodded again. "Right."

"Angela! Get the phone! We gotta make sure she's completely ready!" Bella and Angela both winced at Eric's insistent yell from across the room.

"Okay, love. I'll let you go before Eric has an aneurysm. Good luck and call me when you get back to your room."

"I will and thank you."

"Of course. I love you, Bella."

Bella bit her lip. She wanted to say it back but knew she couldn't. Not with everyone standing around and God knows how many members of the press outside waiting for her and Jacob. "You, too."

Edward chuckled once more, knowing full well why she didn't return his heartfelt sentiment. "Talk to you later, love."

"Bye."

Bella snapped the phone shut and handed it to Angela.

Angela gave her hand a squeeze. "You'll be fine today, Bella. Anything I can get you?"

Bella gave the girl a warm smile. Sure, it was Angela's job to make sure she had everything she could ever need or want, but Angela had actually become a true friend over these past six months. Angela always went above and beyond for Bella. "I'm okay, thanks. Oh, except, maybe some water, please. I mean, if that's okay?"

Angela gave her a smile and a roll of the eyes. "Of course, it's okay. It's my job."

Bella smiled wider. "I know but I just hate telling you to get me something. I'd rather ask or better yet, get it myself."

Angela narrowed her eyes. "Nice try. Keep your butt glued in that chair, missy. I'll be right back."

Before Bella could protest, Angela was gone, on the hunt for a bottle of Evian.

Bella sighed and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms. This was really the last place she wanted to be. _Why am I doing this again? Oh right, because I love my job. And this is a part of it. Right._

Just then, a side door opened and a massive group mixed with security, stylists, and Lauren, Jacob's assistant walked in.

Bella felt like she was starting to hyperventilate when the door closed. Where was Jacob?

She leaned forward in her chair in a bid to look around the sea of bodies now in the room. Nope. Jacob wasn't found to be anywhere. She sat back in her chair, her leg shaking furiously. Where could he be?

She kept her eyes transfixed on her jeans. She wished she had her phone right now. She'd text him and find out where he was. Had he gotten sick? Was he not coming for some strange reason? Had something happened?

Her eyes widened. Oh God, was she going to have to do all of these interviews? Alone? Shit.

And then she felt a warm hand on her arm. She swiveled her head to the right to find Jacob in the seat next to her, smiling warmly, concern deeply etched in his dark eyes. "You okay, Bells?"

She nodded, unable to answer.

He smiled wider and just like that, she was able to breathe. "Really? Because you look so nervous that you're about to pass out on me."

She narrowed her eyes at him in a mock glare. "I am not about to pass out." Truthfully, she had been about to. Or have a panic attack. Or something. But now, with him here, she was okay. She felt safe and relaxed next to him.

He snorted. "Sure, you weren't. I mean, Ang over there with the smelling salts and the paramedics on standby are just absolute coincidence, I'm sure."

She scoffed and turned her head away.

He laughed. "Kidding, Bells. Look," She turned back to face him. "I'm just as nervous as you are but we'll be fine. We're here together so we'll be good. Alright?"

She let out a breath in relief and smiled at him before nodding.

He gave her a confident smirk. "Good." His hand then trailed down her arm, grabbed her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed his back.

They didn't look away until Lauren's nasally annoying voice interrupted the moment. "Jacob, there's a phone call for you. It's your agent. Do you want to take it quick?"

Jacob turned towards his assistant and let go of Bella's hand. "Yeah. I'll take it quick. Where's the phone? Over there?"

Lauren nodded, took his arm and walked him away, sneering at Bella over Jacob's shoulder.

Bella rolled her eyes, sighed once more and crossed her arms again, sitting back.

It was amazing. She couldn't breathe one minute and the next Jacob was there and she could. Now he had left, to take a phone call, he was literally across the room, and she felt like she couldn't breathe again. _Get a hold of yourself, Bella, for Christ's sake. You're 20 years old. Act like it._

Eric snapped his fingers and ordered Jessica and the temporary hair stylist to do one more quick check on Bella. Angela appeared with water in hand. Bella smiled gratefully and took a sip as the hair stylist fretted with her curls once again. Within seconds, Bella was primped and prepped. Angela grabbed her glass and shooed away the two other women. Jacob hurried over and sat back in his chair, now wearing his leather jacket, grinning at her. "You ready?" He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze.

Bella smiled meekly at him. "As I'll ever be. You?"

He rubbed his hands together. "Absolutely."

She smoothed her hands down her the thighs of her jeans, looking down. "That's good."

She repeated the motion a couple of more times before a big hand covered hers, stopping their progress. "Hey."

She glanced up to meet those warm dark eyes again, staring at her intently. "Everything's gonna be fine. I'm right here with you. Okay?"

She couldn't tell those eyes no, that she didn't believe them, that she knew better. She nodded slowly.

He pulled her right hand up to the arms of their chairs and intertwined their fingers. "We're gonna hang out tonight, right?"

She nodded again.

He beamed at her. "Awesome. I'm thinking we should grab some dinner and sing some Miley." He wiggled his eyebrow at her, smirking.

She grimaced. "Jake, you know I can't sing."

He laughed and she found herself smiling, feeling much better than she had a few seconds ago. "I know you can't. That's the whole point, Bells. Duh." She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed again. He brought her hand up and kissed it, then let it go.

Bella stared at him for a minute, confused by the gesture. He always held her hand to help her descend stairs, get into cars, walk down the red carpet, escort her onto a stage, and sometimes to reassure her like he had just done before. But, he had never kissed her hand before. That was new.

She lightly shook her head, clearing away the weird thoughts._ No, it's no big deal. He's just trying to make you feel comfortable, get you to relax. Christ, Bella, get a hold of yourself. You're falling apart at the seams here._

Jake smiled at her again and she smiled back before turning to see Eric rushing towards them. "Alright, guys. Jacob, how you feeling? You good, brother?"

Jake nodded and rubbed his hands together again. "Yeah, man. Let's get this show on the road. I'm ready."

Eric nodded, smiling happily at the young actor's enthusiasm. His smile faded and he turned cautiously towards Bella. "Bella? How you feeling, hun?"

She forced a smile. "Good. Let's get this thing done."

Eric winced and so did she. Bella wasn't fooling anyone.

Jake laid a hand on her shoulder and smiled up at Eric. "You heard her. Let's get going on this, Eric. The longer they wait, the longer this is gonna take."

Eric nodded and glanced worriedly at Bella one more time. "Remember, vague and only talk about the film. If something comes out of nowhere, be prepared, keep a smile on, and absolutely stay quiet or say 'I don't know'. Got it?"

Bella nodded timidly, blushing a little that she had to be told this for the sixth time today.

Jake laughed. "Eric, she knows the drill. Now, come on, let them in already."

Eric took a deep breath and plastered his usual fake smile onto his face. "Alright, that's the kind of energy I like to see. Let's go!" He spun on his heel and rushed across the room.

Bella turned to Jake and smiled her thanks.

Jake smirked. "Don't worry, Bells. I got you." He leaned in, kissed her on the side of the head, above her ear, and then sat back in his chair, staring ahead at the doors that were about to be opened.

Bella was stunned. He had _never_ done that before. What the-

But she never had time to contemplate it or talk herself out of her crazy thoughts because at that moment the first set of journalists walked in.

The two women were hurried over, shook hands with both Jacob and Bella and sat down. They introduced themselves as being from some movie review channel.

Of course, Jacob charmed them easy. Most of the questions that revolved around the film were centered on him and his shirtless scenes. Jacob answered them easily, laughed frequently and kept their attention solely on him. Jake always did that any time he and Bella had junkets together like this. He would ease her in by involving her in a question here and there but for the most part, took on most of the interview himself. Unless they specifically had questions for Bella, which was almost never the case.

Bella watched Jake in awe. She wished sometimes she could have his confidence and his laidback manner. He seemed so at ease just being himself and yet saying all the things he was supposed to say, keeping quiet and vague on the things he was supposed to, while giving the most articulate well-thought intelligent answers to questions that had somehow not made it into Prep. Sometimes it was hard to believe he was only 18.

Bella looked over at the two women and she could see them staring at Jake, wide-eyed, completely taken in by him. She wanted to lean forward and offer them a tissue to wipe the drool from the corner of their mouths. She had to stifle a giggle and an eye roll when the women were practically climbing over each other to tell Jake just how much they enjoyed his work in the films once their five minutes were up.

Once hands were shaken (a little longer on Jake's not surprisingly, Bella thought security might have to help soon but luckily they didn't) and they waited for the next journalist, Jake settled back into his chair with a cocky smirk and a contented sigh.

Bella shook her head at him. "It's not fair, you know."

He turned to smile at her. "What's that?"

"You don't even give them a chance. You turn that charm on and looking the way you do, they're goners before they can even get their names out."

His face lit up and he leaned in a little. "Looking the way I do?"

She slapped his chest and he smirked wider. "Oh please. You know what I mean."

"And I've got charm, you say?"

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Oh God, here we go."

Jake feigned innocence. "What? I didn't say it. You did."

She laughed and bit her lip. "Uh huh."

He stared at her for a minute, in a way that almost made her uncomfortable, which was rare for her in his presence. She was about to ask him if she had something on her face or in her teeth when he a lazy grin spread across his face. "Charm?"

She rolled her eyes again. "You know you've got it."

"And you say I turn it on and the women just go," He snapped his fingers. "Like that?"

She arched a brow at him. "I don't think I put it quite like that but yeah, pretty much."

He sucked in his bottom lip and bit down onto it. "Hmm."

She stared at him questioningly.

He waited another minute and then he laughed and turned back in his chair to face the incoming journalist. "You know, Bells. I think you may be right. I'm gonna have to test that theory."

Bella laughed. "Um, okay. You know you've already got it made, Mr. Black. You don't really need to test anything."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. Couldn't hurt, though. We'll see. By the way," He leaned in to whisper into her right ear. "Have I told you how gorgeous you look today?" His warm breath in her ear made her shiver. He grinned and sat back in his chair, acting as if he had merely whispered the weather to her.

Bella was about to hit him in the arm when instead his hand landed on her own, inched down to her hand and slowly stroked the skin there with his fingers. The way he did it was so soft and yet made her shiver again.

The bastard. He knew what he was doing and she wanted to hit him. He was trying to test his theory on her, was he? Well, two could play at that game.

She retracted her hand and brought it up to toss a loose curl behind her shoulder. Jake didn't look at her but instead stared forward, leaving his hand where she had let it drop.

Bella uncrossed her legs and then recrossed, doing it in a way that made her heel brush up against the leg of his jeans slowly and teasingly. One more inch higher and then she pulled away and acted as if nothing had happened but not before she heard his breath hitch. She almost laughed out loud when she saw him squirm in his chair and then adjust his position.

She waited a minute and then acted as if she had something to tell him. She leaned in and whispered into his left ear. He tilted his head towards her so he could hear her better. "Two can play at that game, Jake." She sat back in her chair, smirking, confident he would think twice next time before trying that with her. _Cocky kid._ She smiled.

He leaned back over towards her and whispered once again in her ear. "Is that a challenge, Bells? Because if it is, I should warn you. I have every intention of winning." His lips brushed against her lobe and made her gasp quietly. Jake heard it, though, and he sat back in his chair, chuckling wickedly.

Bella glared at him and he smiled. Her skin had erupted in goose bumps at that touch and he knew it.

"So, game on?"

She glowered at him as her skin tried to return back to its smooth state.

He smirked. "Don't tell me I've won already. That's too easy."

She scoffed. "You haven't won anything." She crossed her arms and dangled her leg. What the hell was taking this journalist so long to reach them? Did he realize he only had five minutes?

"I know. That's no fun. What do you say we make this interesting?"

Bella turned to stare at him in disbelief. "When exactly did this become a bet, Jacob?"

He smirked wider. "Just now. I bet that my _charm _can turn you into any one of these women. Even if only for a second."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you realize how ridiculous you sound right now?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "You started it. Not me."

"That's bull."

"Nope. It's not. So, what do you say? Interested in our little wager?"

She scrunched her brows at him. She was about to tell him he was nuts or that she wasn't in the mood for any immature teenage boy crap today but then she realized he was probably trying to keep her mind occupied. Keep her engaged so she wouldn't be so nervous. He could just make it simple and talk and joke with her all throughout but this was Jacob. Jacob rarely did the expected.

She shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

His eyes widened for a minute and then he narrowed them at her. "Really?"

"Yeah. So, what's the bet then? That I won't let that happen?"

"I guess."

"And what do I get if I win?"

He cocked his head and smiled at her. "Anything you want."

She arched her brows. "Anything?"

"Yep."

"Like what?"

"Whatever your pea-sized brain can come up with."

She glared at him and he chuckled. "You're such a dork."

"Yep, that's me."

Jake then leaned forward and stared at her, but not before making sure everyone else was otherwise engaged for the moment. "And if I win, you give me what I want."

Bella quirked a brow. "And what exactly is it that you want?"

He pulled back and shrugged. "You'll have to wait and see."

"Only if you win."

He turned back to face the room of people. "I'll win. No doubt about that. So, do we have a deal?"

Bella thought about it. This was a very strange situation she had put herself in with Jacob. But as she saw the man in his fifties making his way towards them, smiling, with a "Pick Taylor, Kristen. Pick Life" t-shirt on with a big picture of herself underneath the caption, Bella sighed and slapped Jake's chest gently. "Deal."

Jake smirked triumphantly and nodded.

Bella rolled her eyes. At least this _thing_ would keep her occupied in the meantime, no matter how weird it was. Strange what you find yourself engaging in when you're somewhere you don't really want to be doing something you don't really want to do.

She shook hands with the journalist as did Jake before he sat down and began his interview. As expected, his questions were geared towards both actors, mostly about the film and the choice Bella's character, Kristen has to make. As she listened to Jake's answers, in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder. What exactly was it that he wanted should he win? The way he said it with such conviction meant he had something in mind already. But what the hell could it be?

Bella's thoughts were interrupted when the journalist, Dave was his name, turned to her and asked her if she had to choose, who would she pick? Taylor or Robert? Jake turned to hear her answer as well, smirking that cocky smirk once again. Bella shrugged her shoulders. "I choose Team Peter."

Dave's mouth dropped.

"Yeah, he's a sexy guy. I mean, yeah, he's Robert's father but there's something kind of sexy about an older man who just happens to be a vampire, you know? And a doctor to boot? That's who I'd choose."

Chuckles were heard throughout the room and for the first time that day, Bella felt good about her odds lasting through the day of endless press.

Bella turned to flash Jake a smile, happy that she had finally said something that wouldn't come back to haunt her in a bad way, but stopped when she saw him staring at her, eyes tight. But as quickly as she saw it, he smiled and turned to answer the man's last question about Taylor's transformation from boy to werewolf.

Bella faked a quiet cough so she could cover her mouth with her hand, trying to play off her confused expression as one of experiencing a tickle in her throat. What was that about?

The journalist's five minutes were up, shook their hands again and left the room for another journalist to enter.

Bella turned to Jake and leaned in. "Hey, you okay?"

He laughed and turned to her, grinning. "Yeah, why?"

"I thought you were ups-"

"Hey, Bells. Hang on a sec. Your hair is caught on the tag of your shirt. Here." He motioned for her to lean forward and she did. Angela shot her a questioning look and she shrugged her shoulders. Her nose was practically bumping Jake's right shoulder. "There we go."

Bella began to inch back and stiffened when she felt him place a feathery kiss on the back of her neck before sweeping her hair over her shoulders. He pulled back but made sure to trail his fingers lightly down her arms as he did, leaving more goose bumps in his wake, in just the right spot so no one could see. Bella glared up at him and he smiled. "Game on, Miss Swan." And then he sat back in his chair, his hand covering his huge smile as he waited for the next journalist to sit down.

Bella watched him and not once did he turn to look at her. She sat back in her own chair and watched the journalist walk over to them. "Game on, Mr. Black. Game on."

She didn't have to look to know that Jake's smile was bigger than it had been a moment ago.


	2. And What A Sweet Rose It Was

**A/N: This is where it starts to get Taysten-ish. So Bella and Jacob are a bit OOC. Based on when Breaking Dawn started filming.**

* * *

**AU/AH. Bella is a famous actress in an even more infamous relationship with her**

**leading male co-star. She finds out her best friend, Jacob, has been secretly dating a**

**girl for months and she becomes angry over his omission in their friendship.**

Bella stormed through the double doors of the building. People immediately jumped out of her path. They knew, when she was like this, best to stay out of her way.

Moments later, Jacob pushed through the door, running after her.

Everyone rolled their eyes and went about their business, ignoring the dramatic scene about to unfold in front of them.

_Here we go again,_ they all thought in unison before returning to their previous activities.

"Bella, wait up!"

Bella ignored him and went through another set of double doors, hurrying down a similar looking hallway.

Jacob burst through the doors not a moment later. "Bella!"

"Go away, Jacob. I don't want to talk to you right now."

He caught up with her and grasped her arm, turning her around. "Bella, just talk to me. Give me a chance to explain-"

She yanked her arm out of his grip. "Explain what? That you've been avoiding me since we got here because you've been busy or hey, that in the last four months you mysteriously forgot to mention that you have a girlfriend?! Or maybe that's why you've been ignoring my calls? Because all of a sudden you're getting some ass and Daddy's been allowing you to? Take your pick!" She turned away from his shocked face and began to stomp away when he grabbed her arm again. She tried once again to snatch her arm back but this time he wasn't letting go. "Get off of me, Jacob!"

"I don't think so," he growled.

She turned and punched him in the shoulder with her free hand. "Let me go."

He ignored her, not even flinching when her hit landed, and dragged her to the first door on their left. He opened it and pulled her through it, her struggling the whole way to get free.

Once he shut the door, he pushed her up against it, placing both palms on either side of her head, leaning in until his face was within an inch of hers. "You don't have any right to be pissed off and you know it."

Her rage boiled over. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? You lied to me, Jacob! You're one of my best friends and you lied-"

"There's the key word: friend." His voice remained smooth and even, angry but controlled. "You chose for it to be this way, Bella. Not me. You don't tell me everything about _him_, do you?"

Her jaw dropped. "It's none of your business!"

He smirked. "Exactly."

She glared at him. "There _is_ a difference. You _know_ I'm dating him. You didn't even tell me about her!"

"There was no point in telling you. I knew you'd only get upset. Turns out I was right, wasn't I?"

She crossed her arms and tried to move back away from him, the door behind her hindering her escape. "Yeah, because you lied to me. I asked you if you were seeing anyone and you told me you weren't."

"I never said I wasn't. You asked me if I was in anything serious and I wasn't." She eyed him meaningfully. "At that time. Look,"

He gave a small sigh. "We have to get through this last film together. She's going to be around whether you like it or not. I'd prefer it if we could all get along. You're still my best friend, Bella. And I still care about you. No matter how pissed you are at me."

As his honest and heartfelt demeanor often did, she felt it disarming her anger as it slowly began to dissipate in response to him. She lowered her eyes to his chest. "I just wish you had told me," she whispered.

"I tried. Many times. Believe me. But...I wasn't sure how to...with everything that's...happened," he whispered back.

She winced but refused to meet his gaze. "I don't want to talk about that."

She saw him place his arms at his side and step back. Then and only then did she look up and see his hurt and angry expression, just like she expected. "Yeah. I know."

A moment of uneasy silence passed between them as they stared at each other. His angry expression started to fade, that pleading look back in his dark eyes that she had seen so often since...then. She couldn't take it and just like so often before, cast her eyes down cowardly. "Jacob-"

"We're gonna head to this new restaurant tonight. You and Rob should come with us. We can...catch up."

Her eyes snapped back up to his and that vulnerability was gone, his tender warm smile replacing it. "She's really excited to meet you."

Bella wanted to roll her eyes but refrained from doing so for his sake. Instead, she gave him a restrained smile. "I bet."

He bit his lip and looked down.

"Does she know...about..."

His eyes rose in a flash. "No. And she never will."

She pretended that that statement hadn't hurt her as much as it did.

He smiled encouragingly. "Just like we agreed."

She nodded.

Just then, his phone started to ring and he pulled it out of his pocket, looking at it. She tried to ignore the happy expression that was making its way onto his face just then or the way his eyes lit up. She knew who it was before he even told her. "It's her. I gotta get back out there. She's on her way to meet me." He pressed a button, the ringing stopped and he slipped the phone back into his jeans pocket. He approached her slowly. "Come to dinner with us tonight. I promise you'll like her. It'll be good for all of us to hang out again."

_You're an actress, just smile, it's not hard._ And she did. "Yeah. It will."

He grinned wide. "Great. It'll be fun."

"Yeah."

Another moment of uncomfortable silence passed.

"Okay, I'll see you later then."

"Yeah."

She moved out of his way and he opened the door. Before he closed it, Bella found herself calling out to him. "Jacob."

He turned back eagerly. "Yeah?"

There were so many things she wanted to say, so many things she wanted to explain, apologize for. But in the end, all she could do was give him the tiniest genuine smile she could. "I'll see you then."

He reached down and squeezed her hand in understanding. "See you then." He smiled once more before releasing her hand and closing the door.

Bella stared at it for the longest time, remembering, wondering how it would have been had she chosen differently. She had never been one to wallow in regret but seeing as her biggest one just walked out the door, she couldn't keep the memories from rising to the surface, washing her over in sadness and remorse. But whether the contrition was for what had happened or how things turned out, she wasn't quite sure.

Still.


	3. The Loft Part 1

**A/N: This portion is the most Taysten-ish of all three. Jacob, Bella and Edward are completely OOC. Set during filming of Breaking Dawn. Before the two films were released, when Taylor and Lily were dating, there were some who used Lily as their older Renesmee. So, I switched things around accordingly. ;-)**

* * *

**AH/OOC Jacob has a new girlfriend and production on the Twilight Saga in Baton**

**Rouge is almost complete. Everyone is in good spirits except for one person who**

**can't understand why she can't accept her best friend's new relationship.**

She hates this.

She hates how every time she sees him now, _she_ is always right there with him. As if they were attached at the hip.

She hates how he touches _her_, how _she_ leans in to whisper something in his ear and it makes him laugh, pulling _her_ into a closer embrace.

But most of all, she hates how it makes her feel inside.

Things weren't supposed to be this way.

Bella and Jacob had always been close. Over time, they had gotten even closer, becoming the best friends they both worked hard to portray on screen. But unlike their characters, there had never been any blurred lines between them. It had always been a true friendship, nothing more.

Until now.

Bella felt the familiar twinge of annoyance as Nessa leaned in for the fourth time that evening, whispering something that made Jacob's bright smile form on his young face. He then turned adoring eyes on his girlfriend and they both smiled warmly at one another as he laughed.

Bella rolled her eyes once again at the sickeningly sweet display and grabbed her wine glass, taking a sip. Edward, on her right, who was turned towards Carlisle on his other side, laughing and discussing something, laid his hand on her thigh and squeezed gently.

That was Edward. He could always sense when she was nervous or upset and he would immediately work to reassure her in the softest conspicuous touches that the camera was too slow to catch.

Normally, such a gesture would work and she would lean into Rob's shoulder and cling there if the cameras were nowhere to be seen or she would return the exchange with a touch of her own in response.

But not tonight.

Tonight Bella was too preoccupied.

She took another sip of her red wine while she watched Jacob brush Nessa's hair behind her shoulder as she spoke to Alice. When she saw Jacob's hand drop down underneath the table, most likely to land on Nessa's right thigh, Bella decided red wine wasn't cutting it and signaled the server over to switch to champagne.

Edward arched an eyebrow at her when the server walked away back to the bar but she ignored it. Yes, champagne after red wine was a bit weird but Bella needed something else. The hard stuff was a no no. Not tonight, anyways. She really didn't feel like getting shit-faced and being in bed, getting sick all the next day. Not this weekend.

Alice said something to Jacob, something that made him blush uncontrollably and laugh nervously in that cute little way he did whenever he was embarrassed. Bella found herself starting to smile slightly as she felt a pang in her chest. Jacob was so cute sometimes.

He was so humble and down to earth, something one would definitely not expect for a guy his age never mind a guy that just got asked by one of the biggest directors in Hollywood to collaborate with him on some super secret project. Bella smiled wider as Jacob dropped his head, laughing, his face turning redder as Alice teased him, chuckling. He truly was a good kid.

Nessa leaned into him and kissed his cheek sweetly before hugging him, laying the side of her head against his, grinning from ear to ear, prompting Alice and Esme to make the customary cute aww sounds from witnessing such an adorable action. Bella's good mood was ruined once again when Jacob hugged Nessa back and turned to kiss her hair.

She finished off her wine just as the server returned with her glass of champagne. She snatched it and right before she could down it, she turned her eyes up to the man. "Oh no. I'm gonna need the whole bottle."

The server nodded his head once and ran off to retrieve said bottle.

Edward leaned in and she felt his lips at her ear, making her shiver. "Everything okay?"

She shrugged and sipped her champagne. "Yeah. Why?"

"You seem tense and you're getting more and more pissed by the second."

Bella rolled her eyes again. "I'm not getting 'pissed'." _Not that kind of pissed._ "I'm just having some champagne."

Edward pulled back, arching his brow yet again at her. "The whole bottle?"

Bella scoffed and drank some more champagne. "Thanks, _Dad_, but I'm okay. I just feel like kicking back for a bit. That okay with you?"

Edward sighed in annoyance and retracted his arm, sitting upright in his chair, away from her. "More than okay with me."

For the tiniest second, Bella felt slightly bad. Edward wasn't the source of her irritation. She didn't mean to take it out on him. No, her source of irritation was leaning her head on Jacob's shoulder right now and looking pretty comfortable there, too.

Jacob sat back in his chair and pulled Nessa in closer to him before taking her hand and standing up, leading them both away to the dance floor where the deejay was now conveniently playing a slow song. _Of course._ Bella sighed quietly and placed her glass down on the table. She couldn't wait for the bottle. She needed a cigarette.

She turned to her disgruntled boyfriend who was back in conversation with Carlisle and now also Emmett. She tapped him on the shoulder quickly. He turned to look at her. "I'm going to smoke a cigarette. You want to come?"

He shrugged indifferently. Yep, she'd definitey pissed him off. "If you really want me to."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head at his apathetic response. "Okay, I'll go then. Thanks." She got up from her chair and grabbed her cigarettes and lighter from the table. "Be back."

She didn't wait for a response and headed downstairs. Of course, she wasn't alone. Not only were there people congregated outside but there were also paparazzi camped across the street, waiting for her or Edward or any of the cast to come out.

She threw up her hoodie and one of the plain clothes security guys she and Edward had hired blocked her from view as he escorted her around the side of the building to an area where there were other smokers but she would be able to hide among them. The throngs of people around helped shield them from any potential paparazzo's lens.

The guy did his job and sure enough, Bella wasn't bothered. With her hoodie up and her facing the opposite direction of the restaurant, she was able to smoke in peace.

That's one thing she liked about Baton Rouge compared to Vancouver. She was able to get away with so much more. She still couldn't quite walk down the street without getting mobbed by the stalking paparazzi or hounded by fans, but she was able to have a few moments to herself without all the screaming and clicking of cameras. It was nice.

Bella held a hand to her forehead, leaning against the wall as she puffed on her cigarette, thinking back to what had been bothering her just moments before.

Why did this whole thing with Jacob and Nessa bother her so much?

It didn't make sense. She loved Edward. She had been with him two years now, almost three. She wasn't looking for anything else. Even after the whole Tanya Denali thing. Edward had simply explained that he had just posed for photos and despite reports, he did not leave with her or see her again after that night. It had been hard but Bella eventually believed him. She just didn't see Edward cheating on her, with that girl of all people. It still didn't mean that it hadn't hurt at the time. But, they were still together, still 'going strong'.

Nessa was good for Jacob. They could all see it. She was older, quieter and had way more class than that Swiftbitch as they all lovingly referred to her now. That blonde bitch had done a number on him, especially when she had released that annoying song about her going back to November all the time or whatever month she had been carrying on about. He had known it was coming but it still had bothered him when he heard it for the first time and then seen the farce of a music video that the bitch had put together. He had been embarrassed, feeling like the girl had left him exposed for the world to see, especially when the guy who was supposed to be Jacob played the part as if he was really upset. It had almost been like she was gloating that someone like Jacob could be that hurt and pining after her, almost as if she had been feeding her own ego and boasting it to the world at the same time. _Fat chance, Blondie._ So, compared to that last bitch, Nessa was indeed good for him. She would never write a song about hers and Jacob's relationship and release it to the world to make money off of his heartache. That was for sure.

But, no matter how hard Bella tried for Jacob's sake to like Nessa, she just couldn't take to the girl. She liked the girl well enough, she was older than her, polite, respectful, decent, and she made Jacob happy. But, Bella could not warm up to her. She struggled to, especially since Nessa had been in Baton Rouge with them all this time during filming and she had been on set, but she just couldn't.

And it seemed Jacob was desperate to have his friend and his girlfriend get along just as much as Bella tried to make it work, make him happy. He always made sure to include Nessa in cast outings, lunch dates with her and Edward, private dinners for them and their families and even the grape throwing in between shooting scenes. It almost seemed, unless the camera was on, that she could not approach Jacob and find him without Nessa by his side.

Attached at the hip.

And that severely annoyed her.

Was it an attention thing?

No, that couldn't be. Jacob didn't treat her any differently than he did before Nessa came onto the scene. He didn't exactly touch her as much as before, but that was understandable. Unlike Edward, Nessa had not been around since day one and it might come across differently to them than it would to someone who had. Blondie certainly hadn't appreciated their close friendship.

Jacob still treated her the same, still talked to her. He always tried to engage both her and Nessa in conversation or so it seemed.

No, definitely not an attention thing.

It's not like Bella and Jacob spent a whole lot of time together off the sets of Twilight anyway. Not unless one of the films was being promoted. Yeah, they caught up every now and then, by text message or phone or the occasional meeting, such as the premiere of her and Jane's movie, but they didn't spend a great deal of time together, no.

Was it because she felt too overprotective of him? That she had seen him get hurt once and didn't want to see him go through that again?

No, it had already been established that Nessa was not a threat in that department. She was a good girl.

So, what the hell was bothering her?

Was it because she and Edward couldn't be as affectionate to one another in public because she was worried a paparazzo would snap a picture at the right time and the so called TwiHards and Belward fans would go nuts? That she couldn't walk beside Edward in an airport yet Jacob and Nessa could walk off the plane together? Was she jealous of him and his relationship because they were able to be so open and yet so private at the same time? Was that it?

No. It didn't matter to her how Jacob's relationship was conducted, open or intensely private. It had no effect on how she conducted her relationship with Edward. There was a difference. People wouldn't go as nuts if Jacob confirmed Nessa was indeed his girlfriend to the press. It would be minute screams compared to what she and Edward would get if they came out. Scratch that, it wouldn't even compare. It would be so much worse.

So, what the hell was it then?

Was she attracted to him? Yes, she had been attracted to him in the past. It was hard not to be. Especially, when he put on the required weight to play Taylor in New Moon. The guy screamed testosterone, his body begging to be broken in properly. But, that was it. Just a fleeting attraction. He was a good guy, the best kind of friend and person to have in your corner and he took care of her, made her feel comfortable but she did not see him as anything more than a kid brother. She felt the same level of protectiveness towards him as she did her own brother. They were close but she did not feel anything more for him.

There had been a few times that she had sensed he had been attracted to her, crushed on her even, but never anything more. As expected, it had faded with time and other girls. Just like she knew it would.

They were good friends, nothing more.

So what the hell was bothering her about this situation with Nessa?

"Hey."

The voice broke her out of her thoughts and she closed her eyes, sighing quietly. She really did not want to see _him_ right now. Not when she was feeling this conflicted and trying to figure it all out so she could act somewhat normal again. Well, as normal as she could be anyway. She purposely ignored the little bubble of excitement she felt in her chest when she had heard him speak.

She waited, never turning around, expecting Nessa to pipe up next.

Then she felt his hand on her shoulder and a softer "Hey" accompanied it. She slowly opened her eyes and turned, surprised to see Jacob standing there alone.

He smiled warmly at her. "Want some company?"

She felt the corners of her mouth twitching, fighting to form a smile in response. It was so hard being around him sometimes. Even when you were mad at him, he still somehow got you to smile. Damn kid.

She gave him a half-smile instead and shrugged her shoulders, making his hand fall to his side, taking a drag on her cigarette. "Sure." She leaned back against the wall and Jacob took a similar position next to her. Bella noted the security guy had moved a couple of feet down, giving them space.

They stayed silent for a minute before Bella, unable to take it anymore, spoke up. "So, weren't you like, dancing a minute ago?"

Jacob nodded and looked up at her. "Yeah, but I saw you left and Edward and all of them were still up there. I didn't want you to be down here alone."

Bella dropped her eyes and took another drag, chuckling and shaking her head. "You are too much, Jacob."

This time, he shrugged and laid his head back against the wall.

More silence followed.

"You doing okay, Bells?"

Bella did a double take. Where did that come from? "Huh?"

He pushed off the wall and turned to face her, leaning his shoulder back up against it. He stared at her with those dark eyes of his. She started to feel slightly uncomfortable with the intensity of his gaze, choosing to focus on flicking her cigarette instead.

"Are you okay?"

Her brows furrowed together in confusion. Was he really asking her this right now?

"It's just Edward doesn't usually hang back when you go to smoke unless there's cameras around or you guys aren't getting along."

She tucked her hair behind her right ear before taking another drag. "There's paparazzi right across the street, Jacob. You know that. He's just being careful. Besides, he was talking to Carlisle and Emmett. That's all."

Jacob kept quiet but continued to watch her. Her discomfort reached an all-time high. What was with her lately? She never felt this kind of unease around him, even when she had been attracted him those few moments in time. Even when he had been crushing on her and couldn't hide it. What was so different now? This wasn't the first time he had stood outside with her while she smoked, talking to her and keeping her company, and then escorted her back inside. That was the gentleman Jacob was. There was nothing wrong with that.

And this line of questioning wasn't all that unusual either. Jacob had witnessed her and Edward not getting along before, just like the rest of the cast at one time or another, and she had even taken solace in one or two of his hugs when she was really upset.

Bella shrugged and turned her eyes back towards the street. "I'm fine," she insisted.

More seconds passed without a word from either of them.

She then felt his arm slip in between her back and the wall, giving her a soft and reassuring pat. She did it before she even thought it.

She had pushed away, choosing to move up a couple of feet away from him and the wall, her eyes to the ground, cigarette rushing to her mouth. "So, how are things with Nessa? Everything's going good?"

She took one last drag and flicked it to the ground, putting it out with her shoe while exhaling the last bit of smoke, ignoring his loud sigh of annoyance behind her.

He moved up to stand next to her. She kept her eyes straight ahead and put her hands on her head, holding her arms out, closing her eyes and thinking. Maybe she was just tired and that's why it had been bothering her. She, as well as everyone else, had been working a lot lately. And everyone knows a tired Bella is not exactly a chipper Bella.

The hand was once again on her back but this time it moved to her left side and pulled her up against Jacob. She jumped a little and her eyes opened, snapping up to his face. He smiled and shook his head at her, hugging her a little more tightly. "You really need to stop smoking."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, but this time staying still and not dancing out of his reach. "Yeah, yeah."

He shook his head again and turned her to face him so he could hug her properly. She loosened up a bit and hugged him back.

After a few seconds, she knew she should pull away but she didn't. And surprisingly enough, neither did he.

"You know, we haven't really talked in a while. Other than on the set, this is the first time in a while I've seen you outside of it," he murmured.

Bella stayed quiet. He was right and the reason why was still upstairs, most likely waiting on his return.

"Every time we're out, everyone else is always around. I kind of miss getting to just hang out with you."

She normally would have drawn back and made a joke, trying to deter where this conversation seemed to be headed, but for some reason she didn't now. No matter how much her head was screaming at her to.

He must have been expecting it, too, because he pushed her back gently and studied her expression. "Are you really okay?"

She nodded and cleared her throat. "Yeah. Just tired. It's been a long week."

He nodded in agreement but still watched her. And then he smiled wide and grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's head back up. I think you owe me a dance."

She smirked at him. "Oh really?"

He smirked back. "Yep."

"And what makes you think that?"

"My last one got interrupted because I came to find you. So, you owe me a dance to make up for it," he explained.

She laughed. "So, I just automatically owe you for following me down here?"

He nodded. "Pretty much. What do you say?" He flashed her that challenging look that always got her to take on whatever he planned. That look was the sole reason she had gone extreme boating and done karaoke. All he had had to do was shoot her that look, asking her if she was scared, and sure enough, before she knew it, she was on a boat and a mic was in her hand.

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Let's do it."

He beamed at her and turned them to lead her back to the restaurant, still gripping her hand. Bella could now see Jacob's man had joined hers and they were now scouting things out to make sure the coast was clear. But before the could move forward, another guy appeared with a brunette walking quickly beside him appear around the corner.

"Jacob?"

Bella, her lips in a tight thin line, dropped Jacob's hand immediately and moved a few feet away from him. She spared a sideways glance in his direction and his expression surprised her. He looked as if he had been burned.

He managed to school his expression by the time Nessa's eyes landed on them. She met them halfway and smiled politely. "Hey, guys."

Bella gave a half-hearted wave. "Hey."

Nessa turned a wider smile on Jacob. "I thought maybe you got caught down here. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Bella pretended she didn't tense up at Nessa's words. Jacob shrugged, smiling. "Nah, we were alright. We were just about to head back up."

Before Nessa could respond, Bella spoke. "Actually, why don't you guys head up there first? I'm gonna have another cigarette and call Rose."

Nessa nodded, smiling at her and Bella turned towards Jacob to find him frowning. She laughed and rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Geez, Jacob. It's only one more cigarette. I'll be fine. I've got John here if anything happens."

His expression didn't ease any and Nessa turned confused eyes on him. Bella waved him off then. "I'll see you guys inside." She then turned and walked away, pulling a cigarette out and her lighter, not waiting to see if they left or not.

She went back to her spot at the wall and lit her cigarette. She glanced back and noticed they had indeed left and only John was left in her company once again.

She rubbed circles in her forehead before remembering that she wanted to call Rose. She held her cigarette between her lips and reached into her pocket for her phone. She had entered the 'R' in her contact list when her phone vibrated and a message popped up.

She thought it might be Edward, wondering where she was since the other two had returned to the party without her.

She was wrong. It was from Jacob instead.

**We need 2 talk.**

That sounded rather ominous. And that's exactly what she put in her reply and sent it back.

**That sounds rather ominous. Should I b scared?**

She had meant to make light of the situation but it was obvious from his silence afterwards that he failed to see the humor. She shrugged her shoulders and smoked her cigarette, sticking her phone back into her pocket, deciding to call Rose tomorrow instead.

She finished the cigarette and flicked it to the ground once again. She turned around to head back inside when she practically walked into Jacob, making her jump.

"Jesus Christ!" She clutched at her chest. "Warn a girl next time!"

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, and he held out a hand to steady her.

"Sorry. I thought you heard me calling you."

She glanced up at him in disbelief. "No!"

He did his best to look sheepish but failed miserably when he started chuckling. "Sorry."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you look it." She stood up straight, running a hand through her hair and staring up at him. "So, what's up? What did you want to talk about?"

His smile dropped and he gazed at her intently. He quickly turned back to make sure their security guards were far enough away and then he grabbed her arm gently and moved them a few feet down. Bella narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him.

He licked his lips and leaned in. "Bella, I need to ask you something and I need you to be completely honest with me."

Bella did her best not to pay attention to the nervousness she felt at such a request, never mind ignore the butterflies in her stomach as his left hand was flat against the wall near her head, helping him to lean in closer. "Okaaay. Ask away."

He placed his right hand on the wall on the opposite side of her head and moved in a few inches more. She tried not to let his close proximity bother her. She could feel her palms start to sweat so she stuck them in the pockets of her hoodie. She did her best to look calmer than she felt.

"Me being with Nessa bothers you, doesn't it?"

The question caught her off guard and she worked to regain her composure quickly. Her brows were furrowed and she sputtered nervously. "W-What? No! No. What would make you think that? I can't-Jacob, what the fuck? Why do I care who you're with? That's-That's ridiculous. As long as she's good to you, that's all that matters. As long-" She took a deep breath and pulled out her cigarettes, tapping them into her palm for something to focus on and not his intense stare. She grabbed a cigarette out and placed it between her lips, searching for her lighter in her pocket. If she lit up, that would make him back off. She knew he couldn't stand being directly in the cigarette smoke's path. Yeah, that would definitely make him move back and in turn, give her a minute to come up with a good answer that would sound close to the truth. What was she, if not a professional actress?

He had stayed quiet during her ranting and even when she brought the lighter up to light the cigarette, to her surprise, he still hadn't moved. She flicked it a few times but she couldn't get it to work. Of course. Even her lighter crapped out on her when she needed it most of all. Shit. Why didn't she carry matches as a back up?

Jacob surprised her again, making her jump slightly, when he reached up and removed the cigarette from her mouth and tossed it behind his shoulder before replacing his hand back on the wall next to her. She glared at him. "What the fuck, Jacob?"

He smirked. "I've told you, you need to stop smoking. Now, answer the question, Bella."

Her eyes narrowed into slits. "I just did!"

He shook his head. "No, you didn't. Not the real answer, anyway. Now, tell me. Does it bother you that I'm with her?"

Bella was pissed now. What the fuck was up with him? Had he been drinking? Had Nessa slipped him some wine or something? As long as she knew Jacob, he had never drank any form of alcohol, even when it was assured he wouldn't be caught, like in Australia. But, no, he had refused. He didn't want any part of it. Had that all changed now because Nessa was in his life? What else would change?

But as she stared into his eyes, she didn't see any hint of glassiness. So, where was this coming from?

"I said no! Why would it bother me? Why would I care?"

She saw his jaw tighten a little. "You tell me. You've been watching us since we got here and you've been upset."

Bella's brows arched in surprise. How had he known that and why would he link the two together?

His smirk widened. "What, do you think I haven't been watching _you_? Out of the corner of my eye? Do you think I haven't noticed how different you are when she's around, how tense you get? How you ordered a whole bottle upstairs for yourself? How you're practically chain smoking out here just to keep from going back up there and seeing me with her?"

Bella went to protest when he cut her off.

"I know you were going to come back up with me. Until she showed up. Right away, you made an excuse and walked away. So, don't try to tell me it doesn't bother you. I know it does. I'm just wondering if it's because of the same reason it bothers me."

She again opened her mouth to protest and again, he cut her off. But this time, with his lips. He kissed her slowly at first, gently prodding a response from her. Bella knew it was wrong. She did _not_ feel this way for him. He was the kid that she had met back when he first auditioned for the role of Taylor Lautner. The lanky teenager who stuck to her side nervously when they went for interviews. The guy that had turned into one of her best friends on the set of their series. Not to mention, her boyfriend was upstairs and so was _his_ girlfriend. Their security guards were not that far away from them. The papazrazzi wasn't that far away from them, either. Anyone could see them at any second.

But all of those panicky thoughts came to a stand still when she felt his hands on her waist and he pushed her back against the wall, molding his body to hers. His fingers dug into her sides as he kissed her more passionately. Within seconds, she reacted. Her hands gripped his hair tight to push his head closer to hers. She kissed him in a way that she would never be kissing her friend. She was the first to pry his lips apart and stick her tongue in his mouth. She was the first who tried to lift her leg up and snake it around his waist to pull him even closer. She was the first to start breathing harshly through her nose, not caring what it sounded like to him, and when he tried to pull away, dug her teeth into his bottom lip and tugged, pulling him back in so she could claim his mouth once more.

Eventually, he was able to break the kiss and stare at her wide-eyed. They were both panting and with each breath, reality came crashing back in. Bella felt more shocked than Jacob looked. She had just kissed him. Not some cute little friendly peck, a full on kiss. A kiss that clearly stated 'please drag me behind this building and let me show you _why_ it bothers me'.

Thank God there were some small trees around and that the whole side street wasn't lit up. That provided them some cover but still, it was risky. What if one of the paparazzos or one of the diners had wandered over? What if one of the cast came down? Or Nessa? Or Edward?

Jacob swallowed, still struggling for air, and leaned over her again, his hands back in their original position. Bella, her chest still heaving, lowered her eyes for a second and then decided that wasn't the best idea and lifted them back up to meet his.

"Bella," he said raggedly. He swallowed again and then spoke softly. "I like Edward, he's a good guy. I care about Nessa. She's a great girl."

Bella bit her lip and dropped her gaze, nodding. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from. Sorry."

She kept her focus on her feet, trying not to freak out. But whether that was because of what just happened and how terrible she felt or because Jacob made it clear it would never happen again, she wasn't sure.

His finger lifted her chin until her eyes met his. He leaned in and kissed her sweetly. Even though Bella felt the urge rise up inside her once again to intensify the kiss, she fought it and didn't.

He pulled back, ignoring her startled expression, and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I'm not a cheater," he said quietly. His fingers brushed down her neck right down her chest, stopping just above the area her breasts were in. Bella hadn't even realized her breathing had sped up and her heart was pounding. He smiled wickedly at her, seeing her response to him. "But I do know what I want."

He leaned in, kissing her once more but then moved away before she could grab him again. "Have John bring you back up in five minutes and then, you owe me that dance." He stood upright and started to walk away.

Bella's head was reeling. What the hell was happening here? She reached out and grabbed his arm, making him stop and turn to look back at her. "Jacob," She shook her head. "We can't-no."

His brows arched at her.

She released his arm and ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head again and keeping her eyes on the ground. "That was wrong of me. I got caught up in the moment. I'm sorry." She lifted her eyes back up to his and crossed her arms. His expression was unreadable but she continued anyway. "We're just friends, Jacob. I don't feel that way for you. I'm with Edward. You're with someone else. I think-" She grabbed her hair in frustration. "I think I've had too much to drink or something. And I'm just really tired. I'm not thinking clearly. I'm sorry. I care about you. So much. You know I'd do anything for you. But-I lost my head. It's my fault. I'm sorry."

He snorted in disbelief. "You're really gonna play that card? You're really gonna try to play it off as that? Are you serious, Bella?"

She bit her lip and crossed her arms again. "I'm not playing anything off. I mean it. I really just-screwed up. Edward'll understand."

He moved quicker than she would have given him credit for and had her back up against the wall. Without hesitation, he kissed her and had his hands digging into her sides once more. Before she could stop herself, she was kissing him back much like she had earlier. She was getting into it even more this time when he suddenly broke the kiss and stepped back, leaving them both panting yet again.

"What-"

"Yeah, you're right. You're not really thinking clearly. You don't feel that way for me at all. I can tell." His smirk was so wide, Bella momentarily debated wiping it off his face for him.

"Fuck you, Jacob."

The smirk only widened more and he headed back towards the restaurant. "Uh huh. Five minutes. Or I'll come back down and I can't guarantee we'll make it back up."

She glared after him and looked away when the security guards glanced between them curiously. She didn't worry about them opening their mouths. She knew they just wanted to do their job and get paid. They were most likely wondering if now they had to add finding a hideaway for her to mack on Jacob now privately to their task list.

She sighed loudly, covering her eyes with her hands, and slid down the wall into a crouch. What the fuck was she going to do? Why did she have to react at all? Why did she let him feel just how much she was wanting him? Why did she let him get to her like that? And most of all, why did she want him all of a sudden? Was that what was behind the dislike of Nessa with him all this time? No. She refused to believe that she had been jealous. Right now, she was in unchartered territory and she didn't like it. It felt too wrong, too scary, and way too out of sorts. She just kissed another guy that wasn't Edward and it had nothing to do with work. She just screwed up her friendship with a guy that she hoped to hell she would remain close with even after the Twilight series wrapped filming for good. She cared about Jacob immensely. But, it wasn't in that way. Even now, she felt all wrong. And yet, she hadn't missed that gleam in his dark eyes after her second reaction to him. Fuck. What the fuck was she going to do?

She reached into her pocket and pulled out another cigarette. She placed it in her lips and lifted the lighter. It only took one flick and the cigarette was lit.

Of fucking course.


	4. The Loft Part 2

**AH/OOC Jacob has a new girlfriend and production on the Twilight Saga in Baton**

**Rouge is almost complete. Everyone is in good spirits except for one person who**

**can't understand why she can't accept her best friend's new relationship.**

Bella made it back upstairs before the allotted five minutes was up. However, rather than approach Jacob as he was clearly expecting her to do, she chose to go and sit once again in her seat next to Edward.

One quick glance in Jacob's direction confirmed he was not happy with her decision. His frown only deepened when Edward turned towards her and smiled, squeezing her thigh. Apparently, she had been forgiven for her earlier slight and was missed. She could only wonder just how he would act if he knew of her worse transgression in his absence. Edward was someone who was strongly opposed to infidelity. You just didn't go there, in his opinion.

Truthfully, the only reason she came back within the given time frame was because she didn't want to risk Jacob coming back down and fulfilling his promise of them not returning to the party. She knew if he kissed her like _that_ again, she'd let him do anything he wanted. Her head was still too fuzzy and conflicted when she was around him.

Bella clung to Edward's side the rest of the night. Edward sensed something was off but mercifully didn't push her on it. For that she was grateful. She still needed to sort out her thoughts about what had happened downstairs and what was continuing to happen with Jacob.

She did her best to avoid his gazes, engaging in conversations with Alice and Esme. When Nessa joined in, Bella remained quiet yet attentive. Jacob tried once or twice to speak to her directly in front of everyone, like normal, but she had a hard time meeting his eyes. She simply nodded or shrugged and contributed a few words as a reply. He had even asked her, very loudly, if she wanted to dance. She politely declined, begging off due to exhaustion, and looked elsewhere. She still felt _wrong_ from all that had transpired between them.

Jacob was a close friend, nothing more. She was sure of that now. She had just been confused as to why she felt the way she did about him with Nessa. That was all. But it was all cleared up for her with that kiss and the way she was feeling now. While she was physically attracted to him, the guy did know how to kiss, there was nothing else there. She deeply cared about him and did not want to put them both through the wringer for one crazy moment of giving over to their hormones. She could not afford to lose this friendship, not with more filming to go on Breaking Dawn and most importantly, not ever. She loved Jacob. She would kill for him, literally. But she did not feel for him what she felt for Edward or even Michael once upon a time.

Her attention was immediately diverted to the person who had just sat down on her left side. When had Jackson gotten up? She knew immediately who it was when she felt his breath in her ear, making her shudder.

"Bella," he whispered. "Are you really trying to avoid me?"

She grabbed her champagne glass and took a sip, thankful and yet annoyed at the same time that Edward was deep in conversation with Emmett. "You mean until you can keep your hands to yourself? Yep," she muttered.

He chuckled and sat back in his chair. "I wasn't the only one. Seemed like you enjoyed these hands when they were on you." Bella scoffed and turned to glare at him.

"Please. If Jasper had come downstairs and wanted to make out, I probably would have jumped on that, too. Like I said, I wasn't thinking clearly and had a bit too much to drink."

She saw his face fall a little and she was immediately tripping over herself to apologize. Regardless of this weird _thing_ between them right now, she still loved him. He was still Jacob.

She sighed quietly and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be mean or make it sound like you don't matter to me. You do. But, it was a mistake, a huge mistake, and I'm sorry. We just have to let it go and move past it. Go back to the way things were. We both have other people to think about. And I know you, Jacob. Like you said, you're not a cheater. You're the good guy, the one who treats a girl right and takes care of her. You pull out their chairs and hold the doors open for them. You're good to them. You're not the bad ass you're trying to pull off right now. You're the one they take home to meet Mom and Dad, not the one they cry their eyes out over for fucking them over."

His eyes snapped to hers and she pulled back slightly. The look he was giving her she couldn't read but it was intense. The calculation in his eyes alone nearly scared her.

"That's what this is about? Because I'm the 'good guy' and not the guy who goes out and messes around on you first chance he gets? Last time I checked, I wasn't the one hooking up with some nasty blonde as soon as your back was turned."

Bella was furious. How dare he throw that in her face? Who was he to make such a judgement when he was insinuating they should do the same? He knew how much it hurt when that happened with Edward. He knew that she believed Edward when he promised nothing happened. He knew how long it took for her to get there. He knew. And still he used it to hurt her. Why? Because she had simply spoken the truth, let him down as easy as she could think to? What the hell was wrong with him?

She snorted. "Last time _I_ checked, _you_ were. And it certainly didn't help you any, did it?" She refused to look at him, even acknowledge that he was existing as she turned her body back towards the group that was laughing loudly and telling stories. She quietly sipped her champagne and ignored the near muted sound of the chair scraping next to her from being pushed in. She didn't need to look to know that Jacob was gone.

She took another sip and told herself that even though she felt slightly bad for hurting him, he had asked for it. He had been acting like a cocky little shit ever since that scene downstairs and he had it coming. She had told him that she had made a mistake, that it didn't mean anything, that she loved Edward. Why couldn't he accept that? Why did he have to try to act like someone he obviously was not and keep pushing?

She was distracted from her thoughts when she saw Jacob walk over to Nessa and lean down to whisper something in her ear. Nessa glanced back at him questioningly and he nodded, keeping his gaze on hers. Nessa nodded as well and got up from the table. Jacob grabbed her jacket and held it out for her.

Bella narrowed her eyes in their direction. What exactly was he trying to pull?

Jacob and Nessa went around the table and said their goodbyes to everyone. When they reached Edward and Bella, Jacob shook Edward's hand and Nessa smiled at Bella.

"Thanks for having us."

Bella gave her a half smile and a small nod. "Anytime." She couldn't be more gracious than that though she knew she should. She felt a twinge of guilt that the girl ws being nice to her when she had just been making out with her boyfriend downstairs.

Jacob turned towards her. Bella braced herself. This was it. Would he try something again even with both of their significant others standing here next to them, watching? Or would he do something with Nessa or insinuate what would happen fifteen minutes from now with her to try to make Bella jealous?

But instead, she was met with indifference. He glanced behind her and then back at Edward, refusing to meet her eyes. "Have a good night, Bella. See you both Monday."

Edward smiled amiably and wrapped an arm around Bella's shoulders, pulling her closer. "See you then."

Jacob nodded, put a hand on Nessa's back and escorted her out.

Bella was shocked. Not once did he do anything that she expected him to. Him not meeting her eyes really started to bother her. Had she really hurt him that badly? God, did he hate her now? Shit.

Edward kissed the side of her head and asked her if she wanted to go outside for a cigarette. She internally shuddered at the suggestion, remembering all too well what happened last time she had. With her luck tonight, she and Edward would be caught canoodling by a camera lens for sure. She refused and he nodded, saying he'd be right back and headed out the door.

Bella slowly sat down, thinking on everything that had happened. She hadn't meant for everything to get spiral out of control so quickly.

She pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged her knees. No matter what Jacob had said, no matter that he had kissed her first, this was all her fault. Jacob would have never had any cause to even ask her about her feelings if she hadn't been so obviously conflicted and bothered. Jacob wouldn't have had any reason to think if he pushed that she would give if she hadn't kissed him the way she had. No, this one was on her.

Alice called her name and she glanced up to see everyone watching her in amusement. "He'll be right back," Alice told her kindly. Bella watched as Jonas pulled her in tighter to him so he could kiss her cheek. It reminded her of Jacob with Nessa and she felt that horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach again. She shook it off and smiled wide. She grabbed her champagne and took a sip before putting on the best performance she had given that week and talked to her friends.

Bella glanced at the clock one more time from the bed.

_3:17_

Edward was out cold, snoring quietly next to her.

No matter what she did, she could not go to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see Jacob's lifeless expression. There was none of that light his face usually had, no merriment dancing in his dark eyes, no luster in his bright smile. He looked...hurt.

And each time Bella's eyes would open and she would sigh quietly and glance at the clock to see only two minutes had passed. She needed to talk to him. She couldn't wait for Monday. And as the hour since she'd been home got longer and longer, tomorrow morning wasn't a plausible idea either.

She stealthily snuck out of bed, grabbed her phone and headed downstairs. She sat down in the kitchen at the counter and stared down at the device.

It was too late to call him. He'd either be asleep or in the middle of something she didn't really want to interrupt. Just the thought made her stomach clench. _Stop being a pussy and just call him. If you wake him up, so what? This is important. He means too much to you. You're both adults. Just call him._ She hit the enter button on his message, closed her eyes and held up the phone to her ear.

_Please, please, do not let them be doing anything. And please do not let her be the one to pick up._

When it rang several more times, Bella admitted defeat and was about to hang up. No way could she leave this on a voicemail or even ask him to call her. What if his girlfriend heard it? She lowered the phone to press the button when she heard a sound emanate from it.

"Hello?"

She stared at it shocked and then brought it back to her ear.

"Hello?" He asked for the second time. His voice was huskier than normal and she knew she had woken him up. She immediately felt guilty.

"H-Hey," she whispered.

"What's wrong?" The grogginess was no longer in his tone. She knew he was alert now. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, um, I just-"

"Did something happen? Are you hurt? Did he-" She didn't wait to hear what he was thinking. She didn't even want to know what he would say.

"What? No, no! I'm fine!" She winced at her increased volume and glanced towards the doorway. When she was satisfied Edward wasn't coming down the stairs to find her, she whispered again into the phone. "I promise I'm fine. I, um, I need...to talk to you."

"Now?" She winced again, this time at the obvious disbelief in his voice.

She bit her lip and pulled her legs to her chest. "Uh, yeah, I mean, I know it's late and sorry but...I kind of need to talk to you." She let out a silent breath. "Now."

"Can't it wait?"

She started to chew on her thumbnail nervously. "No...it kind of can't."

She was met with absolute silence. She had started to wonder if he had hung up on her when he spoke again. "Give me a minute."

She flinched. He sounded extremely annoyed. Well, in reality, who wouldn't be when someone calls up in the middle of the night, waking you from a sound sleep, to talk about the weird feelings she's having for her friend? She might be annoyed, too. At least that's what she kept telling herself. It was better than him harboring anger with her for what she had said to him back at the restaurant. "Sure," she barely whispered in response.

She heard some shuffling in the background and then a very tired yet soft voice ask, "Who is it?"

"It's nothing, babe. Go back to sleep. I'll be back in a few." She heard a small smack of lips and her face screwed up in disgust.

She heard a click and then more shuffling before another click. "What's up?"

Bella's eyes widened. Shit, he was really pissed. He was never this nasty to her, even those few times he had been angry with her for one reason or another.

"Jacob, listen, I..." She closed her eyes and ran a hand through her hair, stopping halfway through. "I'm sorry for what I said before. I didn't mean it."

She heard him scoff. "What the hell are you playing at, Bella?"

Her eyes popped open. "W-What?"

"You were all over me tonight and then you're pushing me away, telling me you had too much to drink and it was a mistake, and now you're calling me in the middle of the night to tell me you want me again?"

Her mouth dropped. She knew she needed to correct his assumption on her reason for calling but it was out before she could stop it. "_You_ kissed _me_!"

"Yeah and you kissed me back. You wanted me then, you still do."

"That is not-"

"Don't even. If you didn't, why else would you be calling me at 3am, sneaking around while Edward's asleep?"

"I am calling you," she said through her teeth. "Because I wanted to apologize for what I said to you about Blondie. Because I lo-" She stopped herself from using _that_ word. Usually, it wasn't a big deal. They had always thrown that word around playfully and meaning it in the way it was supposed to be meant between two friends. But with this new place they seemed to be in, it just wasn't a good idea. "_Care_ about you too much to hurt you like that."

"You didn't."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I did. I know you."

"Nah, you didn't. Besides, I said it to you first about Edward so, I'd say we're even."

Bella smirked. "Is that an apology I hear?"

A deep throaty chuckle sounded across the line. "Not even close."

Bella rolled her eyes again, this time chuckling as well. "Of course." Silence followed and Bella smiled happily. It felt like things were easing back into their old joking pattern again.

That is, until Jacob's deep voice spoke up. "Bella."

She tucked her hair behind her left ear. "Yeah?"

"Why did you kiss me back?" All the amusement had evaporated from his tone along with his previous anger. Now, all she could hear was honest curiosity and wonder.

She rubbed her forehead back and forth. "I-I told you. I had too-"

"Don't say that," he pleaded.

Bella dropped her hand and lifted her eyes to the ceiling. "What?"

"Don't say that's the reason," he pleaded again. "You know it's not. You were fine then, you were fine when we left, and you're fine now. Why did you really kiss me?"

She ran her fingers through her hair once more. "Jacob-"

"No, Bells." Bella did a double take at the name he used. Only her mom and her brothers called her that and occasionally, Rose. "I want to know the real reason. Stop trying to rationalize it by saying you drank too much. Every time you do, it kills me." Bella felt a sharp pang in her chest at his heartfelt whisper. He sounded so hurt. Didn't he understand that that wasn't her intention? She never wanted to hurt him. Ever. She would protect him from anyone who tried, including herself if that's what it took.

"What happened out there tonight, what _we_ felt, it's real. And every time you try to play it off as some drunken mistake, you make me feel like shit."

Bella held a hand to her chest. "Jacob, I'm not trying to make you feel like that. It kills me that you feel that way. I'm not saying this is you. This is my fault, okay? I know that. I-" She pulled her hand through her hair frantically, trying to come up with something that wouldn't hurt him yet explain her temporary craziness earlier. "I just-you kissed me and then-I don't know-you caught me off guard and I-it wasn't-I don't know." She exhaled a heavy breath, exhausted by her effort to try to get the words out. She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead again. "I care about you, Jacob, okay? I really do. You're such a-good guy-the best guy I know and I'm so incredibly lucky to have you as my friend but I-" She dropped her hand to the counter and shook her head, angry at the herself for the tears that were starting at the corners of her eyes. "It can't happen again. It was a mistake, a sober mistake. I fucked up and it never should have happened. And it won't. Ever again. I'm sorry."

She took deep breaths to prevent herself from breaking down and crying, fisting her hand in her hair. Why was this such an impossible feat for her? Why couldn't she just tell him straight out, 'Taylor, I love you but only as a friend. I love Edward,' and that's it, the end? Why was she having such a hard time with this?

She then realized he hadn't said a word, hadn't made one sound. She got her breathing under control and spoke. "Jacob?" Nothing. "Are you still there?" Still nothing.

Bella sat back in the chair in defeat and broke. She fought the sobs, releasing quick ragged breaths, and pulled the phone from her ear. She shut her eyes tightly, not allowing one tear to escape and exhaled loudly. She took one more deep breath and then opened her eyes, sniffling, and picked the phone back up.

She closed it gently and ran a hand through her hair before sitting back in her chair with her arms crossed. She stared off into space, thinking over every detail. Through everything, Jacob had made one good point. Why had she kissed him back? Why?

Had she not, this wouldn't even be an issue between them right now. And she could be fine with Edward and Jacob would concentrate on his relationship with...her. Bella snorted and shook her head at herself.

_Way to go, Bella. Way to fuck everything up._

Her phone started to vibrate on the counter and she overcame her shock fast enough to grab the device before it made too much noise.

"Jacob?" She asked, breathlessly. "I-"

"Can it, Bells. I don't want to hear it," he cut her off. She frowned and closed her mouth. He was angry again. "Since you're too scared to do it, I'll cut through the bullshit myself."

Before she could protest, he continued. "I kissed you tonight and you kissed me back. You weren't drunk, you admitted that. It bothers you to see me with someone else, don't even try to deny it. And now, you call me up in the middle of the night to tell me that you're sorry for what you said when clearly it could have waited until tomorrow. But it was that important to you to talk to me without either Edward or Nessa around." He stopped, waiting for his words to sink in and boy, did they. If this were anyone else, Kristen would have agreed. It sounded exactly the way Jacob was making it out to be. But, this wasn't anyone else. Bella knew how she felt.

She shook her head again. "Jacob," she began.

"No, Bella. I want the truth. Do you want me?"

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and tried to start again. "Jacob-"

"Yes or no?"

She sighed loudly into the phone. "I...I don't...I mean, I'm...arrrgh." She ran a hand through her hair again in frustration. She breathed deep and then rested her forehead in her hand.

Why was she struggling with this so much? Why couldn't she just say no and reset the boundaries between them? Allow their friendship to return to what it was? _Bella, what the fuck is wrong with you? Just fucking say no already._

"I..." She sighed again.

"I want you," he confessed.

Bella's lids flipped up and her mouth fell open.

"I've wanted you ever since we started hanging out," he continued, in the quietest of whispers. "I've always wanted you."

"Jacob," she whispered back sadly. How was she supposed to tell him no now? Without hurting him deeply?

"I still want you, Bells." He let out a long exhale. "Now you know. So, tell me...do you want me?"

What could she say? She wracked her brain for an answer, anything.

"Bella," he pleaded. "Just tell me."

She licked her lips and went to speak. "I-"

The light in the kitchen went on and blinded her with its brightness. Edward appeared a second after. "Bella?" He called.

His eyes searched the room until they landed on her. "Hey," he said sleepily as he walked over to her. "Who are you on the phone with?"

She acted without really thinking about it.

"Rose, I'll have to call you tomorrow, okay?" She said into the phone.

"Bells, please don't," he pleaded on the other end. She felt a pang in her chest to hear the sadness in his tone but she couldn't think. Not with Edward staring at her the way he was.

"Okay, yeah, just call me after, okay? Have fun." And then she lowered her phone, hitting a button to clear the screen. She gave Edward a small smile before sliding off of the stool and leaning on his arm. "Sorry, she met this guy and wanted to talk about it. You know her." She rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

Edward smiled and nodded, leaning down to peck her lips. "Let's head back to bed."

She nodded in response and let him lead the way.

Her phone burned in her hand with the weight of the guilt she felt. She was going to have to wait until Edward was asleep again to try to call Jacob back. Or at least text him to let him know she would talk to him alone when she could.

She knew it wasn't just as simple as that. She knew Jacob had put it all out on the table now. And that scared the hell out of her.


End file.
